Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-02-05
HARD TIMES.

Every where one goes and In every
direction we hear the cry. "hard
times" Is it unusually hard with
the people now? If SO. there is a
cause for it and the cause ought to be
removed if it is in the power of man
to move it. Some say it comes from
the general failure of crops last year
Why did crops fail last year, so
generally? There was too much
fertilizer used. The seasons failed to
suit the poisonous stuff.
We have suggestion to make to
farmers:
Plant less ground, work it better;
use no fertilizer;plant but little cotton.
more corn, peas and potatoes and
raise hogs enough to meat the family.
In winter stay home and make compost,
fences, &C., and let town people occupy
their own houses.
If this is carried out we think next
winter there will be much less desire
to go to California or any place else,
but all will be content as they should
be, to remain in the good Old North
State, for there is as good living here
for good people as any place on the
globe.
We suppose money is scarce among
the laboring people just now. and the
failure of crops has much to do with it.
Now let the cause of crops failures be
removed and We will have plenty money
and prosperity will gladden. every heart
If there is an abundance of breadstuff
and meat raised at home it must be
cheap and there cannot be very much
suffering while all have plenty to eat
and homes to shelter them.
Cotton is king. He is a tyrant.
He makes the poor man poorer and
prosperity impossible. Too many
farm laborers are leaving the farms
and going into the towns and cities.
They suffer themselves and cause
those who formerly did well, to share
their wants. There is too much
migrating from one county and State
to another. Every time a poor man
breaks up and moves. he stops a
poorer man than he started Too
much money is spent in summer when
we have little, for things we could
do without. Fifty cents spent for a
watermelon in July would buy II
half bushel of meal in December
A dollar spent for yellow ribbon
in July would help pay for a pair of
shoes when the first snow comes.
Then the excursion money-the whis-
ky money-if that was kept till
winter how much of this hard times
would be avoided.
The leaders of the race should, ut
the proper time in the proper way
advise our people against the extrava-
giant expenditure of their money
but do at our leaders do it? Are not
some of our preachers and leaders at
the head of excursions and the like
simply to put few dollars in their
own pockets? God will hold the
leaders to account for the suffering of
these poor ignorant people. The
shepherd must guard the sheep from
harm and send him to safe pastures
when the wolf is nigh Times are
hard, but we think it is brought
about by poor people wasting their
substance and the farmers not cultivat-
ing the right crops in the right way
The deadlock in indiana has been
broken, and Turpie elected.
The Lorrillard strike at Jersey City
is over.
Over 900, 900 children under if
teen years of age are earning their
bread in the mines and factories Of the
United States. A large number of
mothers do the same. Society must
suffer from this.
There can be no good cause for i'll
feeling existing between the Knights
of Labor and trade organizations. The
rank and file of both are in hearty
sympathy, and only ambitious and
evil-hearted men in their organiza-
t.o,,g 90, sao - x,.sSh l,fT.ror4l..